An artist's rendering of the proposed condominium tower at 555 Washington St., which is on the same block as the Transamerica Pyramid, as seen from Columbus Avenue. The tower would be double the current height limit and cast shadows on two protected citAn artist's rendering of the proposed condominium tower at 555 Washington St., which is on the same block as the Transamerica Pyramid, as seen from Columbus Avenue. The tower would be double the current height limit and cast shadows on two protected city-owned parks.

A developer's plan to erect a 38-story condominium tower next to San Francisco's landmark Transamerica Pyramid was knocked down by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday night.

After nearing five hours of public testimony from dozens of speakers on both sides of the debate, the board voted 10-0 to overturn the Planning Commission's determination last month that the project's environmental impact report was adequate, accurate and complete.

"This EIR is fatally flawed," said Board of Supervisors PresidentDavid Chiu. "It doesn't acknowledge the significant cumulative impacts of wind, of shadows, on transportation, on parking, on transit, on aesthetics,"

The supervisors' rejection of the environmental impact report doesn't by itself kill the proposed project at 555 Washington St. But the developer, Andrew Segal, said he does not plan to go forward.

"If we have to recirculate the EIR, I think we're done," Segal said.

He said a revised analysis would add $1 million to the $6 million the developer already has spent.

He threw the board an end-of-the-game Hail Mary by offering to cut down the size of the tower from 430 feet to 200 feet, which would comply with the allowable height limit in the neighborhood.

Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier's request that the board continue consideration for another month to give city planners time to review the scaled-down plan failed.

Supervisor David Campos said the developer should have come forward earlier with the alternative plan when opposition was percolating - and before the environmental review was finalized.

Among the project opponents were the Sierra Club, San Francisco Tomorrow and Aaron Peskin, the former president of the Board of Supervisors who got his political start in the city's development wars. They said the state-mandated environmental impact study submitted by the developer did not adequately address such issues as the creation of new shadows, wind tunnels, the effect on migrating birds, the fate of nearby redwood trees, traffic and visual aesthetics.

"The Telegraph Hill Dwellers and San Franciscans for Reasonable Growth appealed the Planning Commission's decision to the Board of Supervisors.

The proposed development emerged as one of the most contentious in recent years.

Growth-control proponents cast the project as being out of character for the location and one that would upset years of carefully crafted city planning policy.

But supporters said it would be a chance to create more housing near where people work, spark new life in the neighborhood and add to the city's public park system. Backers include the Neighborhood Parks Council and the building trades hungry for construction opportunities.

Neighborhood groups in the vicinity were split over the proposed 248-unit high-rise.

The tower would cast shadows on parts of two public parks, Maritime Plaza and Sue Bierman Park, which runs counter to city policy.

In return, the developer planned to expand Redwood Park, a privately owned park next to the Transamerica Pyramid, and turn it over to the city for public use.